Summons to Meeting Tuesday 22 January 2019 Council Wednesday 30 January 2019, 7.00 pm Council Chamber - Allerdale House, Workington Membership: Councillor John Crouch (Chair) Councillor Neil Schofield (Vice-Chair) Councillor Tony Annison Councillor Carole Armstrong Councillor Mary Bainbridge Councillor Peter Bales Councillor Barbara Cannon Councillor Nicky Cockburn Councillor John Colhoun Councillor John Cook Councillor Joseph Cowell Councillor Len Davies Councillor Adrian Davis-Johnston Councillor Joan Ellis Councillor Janet Farebrother Councillor Bill Finlay Councillor Marion Fitzgerald Councillor Mark Fryer Councillor Malcolm Grainger Councillor Konrad Hansen Councillor Hilary Harrington Councillor Michael Heaslip Councillor Alan Hedworth Councillor Vaughan Hodgson Councillor Joe Holliday Councillor William Jefferson Councillor Mark Jenkinson Councillor Frank Johnston Councillor Angela Kendall Councillor Peter Kendall Councillor Jim Lister Councillor Tony Lywood Councillor Patricia Macdonald Councillor Louise Maguire Councillor Anthony Markley Councillor Carni McCarron-Holmes Councillor Billy Miskelly Councillor Jacqueline Mounsey Councillor Ron Munby MBE Councillor Eric Nicholson Councillor Jim Osborn Councillor Bill Pegram Councillor Alan Pitcher Councillor Martin Pugmire Councillor Denis Robertson Councillor Joe Sandwith Councillor Alan Smith Councillor Christine Smith Councillor Stephen Stoddart Councillor Celia Tibble Councillor Philip Tibble Councillor David Wilson Councillor Janice Wood Councillor Martin Wood Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting. If you have any questions or queries contact Gayle Roach on 01900 702502. Page 1 Agenda 1. Minutes (Pages 5 - 14) To sign as a correct record the minutes of the Council meeting held on 5 December 2018. 2. Apologies for Absence 3. Declaration of Interests Councillors/Staff to give notice of any disclosable pecuniary interest, other registrable interest or any other interest and the nature of that interest relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct. 4. Exclusion of the Press and Public To consider whether there are any items on the agenda for which the press and public should be excluded. 5. Questions and Petitions To answer questions under Procedural Rule No. 4.16 from members of the public and from Councillors under Procedural Rule No. 4.17.2 and to receive Petitions under Access to Information Rules. 6. Notices of Motion Councillor A Smith submitted the following Motion – ‘Councillors express their concern for the recent rise in homelessness cases in the borough. This Council alone has dealt with 362 cases in 2018/19 which is a 40% increase over the year before, with still three months of the year to go. There are many reasons why people become homeless - often very personal ones. However, Allerdale Borough Council has noticed the negative impact of the government’s reform of benefits in Universal Credit (UC), with people losing tenancies and landlords unwilling to take on UC tenants, due to delays in payments. Officers also find the UC system, through the Job Centre, has made it harder to work with case officers to help those facing homelessness. Councillors also believe that homelessness cases have also increased due to cuts to social services as a result of the government’s austerity measures, meaning more people are not receiving the support they need. Therefore this Council calls on the government to make further reforms to Universal Credit so that it no longer contributes to people facing losing their home. This Council also calls on the government to reverse the devastating cuts in social services so that the most vulnerable people in our communities receive the help they need’. Councillor P Kendall submitted the following Motion – ‘That this Council supports the cancellation of the sale of Flimby Great wood. Page 2 That an investigation is made by the planning department of Allerdale Borough Council to check that there are no tree’s that require Tree Preservation Order registration. That we register a query with the Environment Agency whether they have issues with the potential harvesting of some 200+ acres of old woodland, and the impact of this on flooding to Flimby settlement. That the same questions be asked of the Forestry Commission. That the flood resilience group and concerns of the population of Flimby be addressed’. 7. Councillor Speeches To hear speeches (not exceeding 5 minutes each), for up to a specified period of 15 minutes, from individual members on a local issue in the Member’s Ward, of which 24 hours’ notice has been given to the Chief Executive. 8. Announcements from the Mayor, Leader or Head of Paid Service (Pages 15 - 18) 9. Portfolio Holder Reports (Pages 19 - 30) To consider reports from Members of the Executive. 10. Executive Minutes (Pages 31 - 36) To note the contents of the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 21 November 2018. 11. Reference from Executive 16 January 2019 - Council Tax Empty Homes Premium (Pages 37 - 54) 12. Calculation of Council Tax Base 2019/20 (Pages 55 - 122) 13. Capital Budget 2018-19 to 2020-21 - Re-profiling of existing budget (Pages 123 - 126) 14. Members Allowances 2019/20 (Pages 127 - 154) 15. Polling Districts and Polling Places Review (Pages 155 - 186) 16. Chief Executive Urgent Action - Workington Community Governance Review (Pages 187 - 194) 17. Update from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Pages 195 - 196) Corporate Director Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday 6 March 2019, 7.00 pm Allerdale House, Workington Page 3 This page is intentionally left blank Page 4 Agenda Item 1 At a meeting of the Council held in Council Chamber - Allerdale House, Workington on Wednesday 5 December 2018 at 7.00 pm Members Councillor John Crouch (Chair) Councillor Neil Schofield (Vice-Chair) Councillor Tony Annison Councillor Mary Bainbridge Councillor Peter Bales Councillor Barbara Cannon Councillor Nicky Cockburn Councillor John Colhoun Councillor John Cook Councillor Joseph Cowell Councillor Joan Ellis Councillor Janet Farebrother Councillor Bill Finlay Councillor Marion Fitzgerald Councillor Mark Fryer Councillor Konrad Hansen Councillor Hilary Harrington Councillor Michael Heaslip Councillor Alan Hedworth Councillor Vaughan Hodgson Councillor Joe Holliday Councillor William Jefferson Councillor Mark Jenkinson Councillor Frank Johnston Councillor Angela Kendall Councillor Peter Kendall Councillor Jim Lister Councillor Tony Lywood Councillor Patricia Macdonald Councillor Louise Maguire Councillor Anthony Markley Councillor Carni McCarron-Holmes Councillor Billy Miskelly Councillor Jacqueline Mounsey Councillor Eric Nicholson Councillor Jim Osborn Councillor Bill Pegram Councillor Alan Pitcher Councillor Martin Pugmire Councillor Denis Robertson Councillor Joe Sandwith Councillor Alan Smith Councillor Christine Smith Councillor Stephen Stoddart Councillor Celia Tibble Councillor Philip Tibble Councillor Janice Wood Councillor Martin Wood Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Carole Armstrong, Councillor Len Davies, Councillor Adrian Davis-Johnston, Councillor Malcolm Grainger, Councillor Ron Munby MBE and Councillor David Wilson Staff Present I Frost, A Gilbert, R Griffin, N Hardy, C Holmes, L Jardine, K Kerrigan, K Magnay, C Nicholson, R Phillips, G Roach, A Seekings, S Sewell, E Thompson, L Tomlinson, R Wilkinson, G Wilson and P Wood 252. Minute silence Council held a minute silence in memory of former Councillor Duncan Fairbairn and Honorary Alderman of the Borough Jack Fryer. 253. Minutes Councillor T Annison requested an amendment to the minutes on page 8 of the report, to remove ‘for privatisation’. This was seconded by Councillor M Jenkinson. Page 5 A vote was taken, 35 in favour, 1 against and 9 abstentions. The motion was carried. Resolved The minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2018 were signed as a correct record subject to the agreed amendment. 254. Declaration of Interests None declared. 255. Exclusion of the Press and Public There were no items on the agenda for which the press and public should be excluded. 256. Questions and Petitions None received. 257. Notices of Motion Councillor T Lywood moved the following motion – ‘This council views with concern the recent statement by Toshiba that their board has resolved to withdraw from the nuclear power plant construction at Moorside. Council considers that due to the level of commercial risk involved in projects of this nature that the build at Moorside is unlikely to proceed without government support. Council therefore calls on this government to financially support the future of Moorside with its attendant jobs and importance to the infrastructure of Cumbria and the country as a whole.’ Councillor A Smith seconded the motion and in doing so said the news that Toshiba were withdrawing from the Moorside project was a devastating blow to the Cumbrian economy and provided further evidence that such projects can only proceed with financial support from Government. He said, this Council stands ready to play its part in support of any discussions on the future of the Moorside project and he shall be writing to the Minister to make the Councils position clear. Councillor T Markley moved an amendment to the motion as follows; ‘This council views with concern the recent statement by Toshiba that their board has resolved to withdraw from the nuclear power plant construction at Moorside. Council considers that due to the level of commercial risk involved in projects of this nature